The singles finals at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on Thursday will be a journey back in time, as both are rematches of past World Championship finals. The Men’s Singles final will be veteran American Rocky Carson versus Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso, who played in the final in 2014 (Carson won), while the Women’s Singles final is current champion Paola Longoria of Mexico versus Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, which will be the third time in the last four World Championships that they will play for gold. Longoria won in 2016, and Martinez in 2018.
In the semi-finals on Wednesday, Carson came back from two games down to defeat Costa Rican Andres Acuña, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4, while Moscoso beat Mexican Rodrigo Montoya, 11-4, 11-2, 11-6. Carson will be going for a record extending 6th Men’s Singles World Championship Thursday, but Moscoso seems like a man on a mission, as he’s dispatched the last two champions in successive days without giving up more than 12 points in either match. He beat defending champion Alejandro Landa of the USA on Tuesday and Montoya - the 2018 champion - Wednesday.
Longoria, the four time women’s champion, actually had to play more games in the semi-finals than Martinez. Longoria defeated Bolivian Angelica Barrios - the current Pan American Champion, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, while Martinez beat Alexandra Herrera of Mexico in three straight games, 12-10, 11-6, 11-9.
Herrera led for all of game one versus Martinez, including at 8-5 and 9-7. But Martinez tied it at 9-9, which led to a Herrera timeout. Martinez got the first point out of the timeout, giving her game point at 10-9. Herrera hit a winning backhand serve return to tie it at 10-10, but a Martinez pinch shot got a second game point, which she converted to steal game one, 12-10.
Martinez led throughout game two, although they were tied at 5-5. From there Martinez outscored Herrera 6-1, including an off speed serve to the right side that cracked out for an ace.
Game three was a similar story, as Martinez led early. Herrera tied the game at 6-6, but after taking a timeout, Martinez then hit three winners make the score 9-6, and went on to win it 11-9.
Mexicans are the odds on favourites to win all the doubles titles, although nothing is assured. In Men’s Doubles, Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa will be going for a second title together, and Beltran’s 6th overall (he currently has four doubles titles & one singles title).
They defeated the USA’s Sam Bredenbeck and Charles Pratt, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7, in one semi-final while Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso beat Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray, 11-8, 11-6, 1-11, 11-9, in the other. It’s the second straight Worlds that the Bolivians have been in the Men’s Doubles final. They lost in the final last year to Mexicans Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya.
The Women’s Doubles final will be between Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas and Argentina’s Valeria Centellas and Natalia Mendez. Longoria and Salas will be trying to win their fifth World Championship Thursday, while Centellas will be going for her second with a second different country. She won - with Yasmine Sabja - in 2018, when she represented Bolivia.
In the semi-finals, Longoria and Salas defeated Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez of Guatemala, 11-4, 12-10, 11-9, while Centellas and Mendez beat Frédérique Lambert and Michèle Morissette, 11-6, 11-4, 11-2.
Finally, Rodrigo Montoya and Samatha Salas will have a chance to add a World Championship to the Pan American Championship they won earlier this year, as they beat Centellas and Diego Garcia, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7. If Montoya wins, he’ll have three different championships in three different divisions.
In the other semi-final, Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Samuel Murray defeated Bolivian, so Jenny Daza and Conrrado Moscoso, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10.
The finals will be streamed in succession beginning with the Women’s Singles final at 3 PM CDT Thursday. Check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for live stream.
XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27
Men’s Singles - Medal Round - Semi-finals - Wednesday
Rocky Carson (USA) d. Andres Acuña (CRC), 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4
Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Rodrigo Montoya (MEX), 11-4, 11-2, 11-6
Final - Thursday
Rocky Carson (USA) v. Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) - 4 PM
Women’s Singles - Medal Round - Semi-finals - Wednesday
Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Angelica Barrios (BOL), 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4
Gabriela Martinez (GUA) d. Alexandra Herrera (MEX), 12-10, 11-6, 11-9
Final - Thursday
Paola Longoria (MEX) v. Gabriela Martinez (GUA) - 3 PM
Men’s Doubles - Semi-finals - Wednesday
Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA), 12-10, 11-9, 11-7
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN), 11-8, 11-6, 1-11, 11-9
Final - Thursday
Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) - 6 PM
Women’s Doubles - Semi-finals - Wednesday
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) d. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA), 11-4, 12-10, 11-9
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN), 11-6, 11-4, 11-2
Final - Thursday
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) v. Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) - 5 PM
Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Wednesday
Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) d. Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-7, 11-9, 11-7
Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL), 11-9, 11-9, 12-10
Final - Thursday
Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) v. Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) - 7 PM
Men’s Singles - Consolation Round - Semi-finals Wednesday
Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Fabian Balmori (ESP), 11-4, 11-6, 11-4
Markell Moyet (CUB) d. Tomas Oyhanart (ARG), 11-6, 11-6, 11-1
Final - Wednesday
Markell Moyet (CUB) d. Diego Garcia (ARG), forfeit
Women’s Singles - Consolation Round - Semi-finals Wednesday
Juliette Parent (CAN) d. Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA), 11-7, 11-3, 11-7
Danielle Drury (CAN) d. Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU), 11-3, 11-5, 11-1
Final - Wednesday
Juliette Parent (CAN) d. Danielle Drury (CAN), forfeit
Follow the bouncing ball…..
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